Following the news that RAF Lossiemouth has reached a major milestone with the return of aircraft to the Moray station;

Anthony Endresen, Aerospace and Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The capability to operate maritime patrol aircraft in this key submarine patrol area was lost in 2010 with the retirement of the Nimrods. Although Boeing P-8As have been arriving in the UK since February, it is only now, with the completion of the resurfacing at the base, that this capability is restored. Resurfacing work was necessary at the facility to allow for larger, multi-engine aircraft to operate from the base, with the P-8A Poseidon aircraft planned to operate from there.

“Reaching this milestone illustrates the imperative for logistics and infrastructure work to continue and the capability to complete this work even through the height of the COVID-19 crisis in the UK. It also highlights the imperative for critical defense work to continue unabated as it has allowed the return of P-8s operating from the base, restoring a critical strategic UK capability in the form of Maritime Patrol in an area with frequent Russian submarine activity.

“Furthermore, it is expected to precede further upgrades and improvements planned, presenting significant further opportunities in Moray for local contractors. With £400m already spent in Moray, these opportunities, including the creation of roughly 550 jobs, are expected to be significant and long-term. Further work at the base includes hangars for the repair of three P-8s at a time, work on airfield operating surfaces, as well as preparation of other facilities for the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoons stationed there. Currently contracted work is expected to be completed mid-2021.”